The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-17
THROWING A BOMB.
Attempt to Destroy a British
Steamship at New York,
Her Would-Be Destroyer Pursued
and Captured.

Thomas j. Mooney, who says he is an eS-
convict from English prisons and friend Of
O'Donovan Rosa, attempted to burn tie
British ocean steamship Queen, of the Ma
tional line on Wednesday at the foot of
West Houston street, New York, by means
of a glass bottle containing explo-
sives, which he threw upon her deck.
The bottle hit the deck just aft of
amidships, exploded, and in a twinkling the
after deck was alive with flames and smoke
The fire was quickly extinguished without
having done much damage. Mooney, who
threw the bomb from the skiff was pursued
and captured 10 minutes later and locked up in
jefferson market prison. The Queen was
about to sail for London, and besides having
about 2OO passengers, crew and 'longshoremen
aboard a. the time, was loaded with cargo
ofgeneral merchandise, mainly cotton, valued
at $500 0O0
Upon MONEYS person was found pro-
clamation denouncing the English Govern
ing down the American flag, etc.
and concluding by notifying, "all
good citizens not to go down to the seq
in an English ship or patronize them any, as
all English ships entering or leaving any
port of these United States are hereby liable
to seizure, attack or destruction from the lst
day of August, 1887, until the English Gov
crn,nent shall make ample apology to the
United States"
Ine story of the attempt to destroy the
vessel, and of MONEYS capture, is told by the
1t was Just after IL o'clock when the bomb
struck the Queens deck and ignited Immedi-
ately there was the greatest excitement on
board. There were only about 100 passengers
on the ship, but the crew, numbering forty,
Captain Herly and the officers were On
board, while sixty longshoremen were
engaged in putting in the cargo and baggage.
George L. Andrew, superintendent OF the
line. was on the forward deck, when a sailor
ran up to him and excitedly said the ship
was atire. He rushed aft and found the
flames encompassng the deck and the
crew working valiantly to check them.
A dark, thick fluid, smellingly strong
ly of phosphorus, covered the deck
over a surface about twenty feet long by ten
feet broad, and was sizzling fiercely as the
flames ragged above and along the deck, Big
clouds of dense smoke rolled skyward, and
emitted powerful odor. The fragments of a
green glass bottle were found amid the
flames. The crew worked the pumps and
poured q flood of water over the flaming
deck, and before long the fire was out.
Meantime some one said that man IN
skiff was seen rowing away from under the
Queens side Mr. Andrews looked over and
saw him as he was turning out into the river.
Calling Robert ]. Vail, who was on the pier,
Mr.. Andrews jumped aboard tug and the
two headed out after the rowboat, which was
now well up toward Leroy street. The man
in the boat was pulling desperately and was
close in to the Leroy street wharf when De-
tectiye Vail, from the bow of the tug, called
out to boatman on the shore:
"Catch that man, I want him." The man
in the boat had just stepped on float, when
the boatman, James Dougherty, who lets out
boats at the foot of that street, held the oars
man until the pursuing tug arrived Detec-
tive Vail leaped ashore, arrested the stranger
and took him before Captain Gastlin,
of the Steamboat Squad. No questions
were asked him there and he was at once es-
corted to Police Headquarters, and thence
taken to Jefferson Market Police Court.
There Mooney was asked the usual questions,
and said he was native of County Clare,
Ireland: that he was single, had been fifteen
years in the country, and had been manu-
facturer of clothing, but was out OF business
now. ,
Have Du anything to say about the
charge for which you are arrestedf asked
Judge Duffy. -,
The prisoners small blue eyes surveyed the
Court quizzically for an instant and then
holding his head erect, he replied in low,
smooth tones:
II should like to know if it is lawful to
haul down the American flag in Canada; if
it is lawful. then it is not unlawful to haul
down the British flag here"
Judge, court officers, reporters and the
court lawyers looked on Mooney with interest
as he uttered this strange statement. Mooney
was the calmest person in the court. AS the
Judge suggested that serious results might
have followed his rash ebullition of patriot
ism, Mooney said:
# don't see that there was the slightest
danger of anybody suffering. You know,
Judge that the American flag was hauled
down by Quigley. The United States flag is
not respected, and thought to be-"
Mooney was then searched by the officers.
He is an intelligent looking man about forty
years old, tall, slimly built and with long
lace and head and bronzed fresh complex
ion. He has small blue eyes that nothing es-
capes, and his whole demeanor is careful,
thoughtful, and, it might be said, digni.
fed. He talks huently, and with excellent
command of language. His manners are by
no means those Of the street The top OF his
long head is bald front and back, and ne
wears sandy mustache and goatee. In
court all agree that he is perfectly sane, e1-
cept for his hatred of England.